The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle information and interaction management and in particular, to a method of managing message delivery and access to vehicle features and functions based on a driving workload estimate.
Vehicles, such as automobiles, generally feature one or more displays to provide locally obtained information related to a current state of the vehicle. The display is positioned within the vehicle such that a driver of the vehicle may view information while driving the vehicle. For example, the display may provide information on a windshield, a dashboard or a steering wheel. Each display may contain one or more windows. Locally obtained information, such as the speed of the vehicle, the direction traveled by the vehicle, the outside air temperature, whether the air conditioner is in use, whether the hazard light is on, a fuel status of the vehicle, and the like, may be provided in these windows. In addition, information can be collected from vehicle sensors and used to create vehicle status and maintenance messages for display in the windows. These messages can include information such as “window washer fluid low” and “check tire pressure.”
The current displays in vehicles are capable of providing different types of media from a variety of sources. The display may provide audio, text, graphic images, and/or video (e.g., night vision display). Additionally, the display may provide information from various databases and remote servers using a wireless network. For example, traffic and/or weather alerts may be communicated through any of the display means mentioned above. In addition, smart advertising may be transmitted to the display to inform the driver of a nearby restaurant or store. Providing all of these types of information and media may be helpful to the driver but providing it without considering the current driving situation may result in increased driver workload, driver distraction and/or decreased driving performance.